Irish Smoke wins Spinaway, remains unbeaten
Courtesy of The Thoroughbred Times - by Jeff Apel

Irish Smoke gained command from three wide approaching the stretch and drew clear with a determined drive in a 3 1/4-length win in the $250,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.

Racing in an unhurried sixth in a field of nine two-year-old fillies through an opening quarter in :22.02, Irish Smoke and jockey Julien Leparoux moved up to fifth through a half-mile in :44.82, more than seven lengths off a blistering pace set by More Happy.

Rallying on the outside, Irish Smoke opened a half-length lead in early stretch and remained unbeaten in two career starts.

Irish Smoke earned a 2 1/4-length win in a five-furlong maiden special weight race on August 2 at Saratoga in her career debut. Trainer Patrick Biancone’s future plans for Irish Smoke may include the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on October 27 at Monmouth Park.

“She stands today to be one of the best fillies in the country,” Biancone said. “Hopefully, she takes this race well and then, maybe, she will run once more before the Breeders’ Cup.”

More Happy hustled clear at the start and opened a five-length lead approaching the three-eighths pole. Irish Smoke seized command after powering past fading More Happy on the turn and gamely won the seven-furlong race in 1:24.24 on a track rated as fast.

“They were going pretty fast,” Leparoux said. “Everything opened for me. When I asked her, she gave me a very good kick.”

Multiple graded stakes-placed winner A to the Croft finished second, 3 1/4 lengths in front of stakes winner Yonagucci.

West Point Stable’s and Lewis Lakin’s Irish Smoke increased her earnings to $187,200. Bred in Kentucky by Stoneway Farm, the gray or roan filly is out of the winning gilded Time mare Added Time.

For an Equibase chart, click here.